BMW ALL-ELECTRIC CARS

December 26, 2012

Portions of this post are taken from a Design News article written by Mr. Charles Murray. Charles is a Senior Technical Editor for Electronics and Test.

As we all know, the cost of gasoline has and will fluctuate from time to time and possibly in a very wild fashion. Some parts of our country have already experienced $4.00 + per gallon, and with this being the case, alternative methods of propulsion and cost savings are being considered right now by automotive manufacturers. Several methods to save gas mileage now in the design process are as follows:

Using light-weight composite materials to replace steel and aluminum where possible.

Producing a more “aerodynamic” structure to reduce air friction and drag.

We will be discussing the BMW “offerings” that will appear in dealerships as early as 2013. Please note, the photographs presented are “concept” and may not be completely representative of what BMW provides on a production basis.

BMW AG took another step in the direction of electrification at the recent Los Angeles Auto Show by rolling out a concept version of an electric, three-door and five-door coupe.

The five-door version of the i3, introduced as a concept in 2011, will reach production in 2013.
(Source: BMW)

The i3 Concept Coupe is the third electrified car BMW has announced in the past 18 months. It joins the racy i8 hybrid and a five-door vehicle (also called the i3) that is slated to reach production at the end of 2013. Like the five-door car, the coupe will be designed from the ground up as an electric vehicle.

BMW did not offer a production schedule for the coupe, but it did call the vehicle yet another sign the luxury automaker is earnest in its plan to bring electric powertrains to the premium car segment. “We’re very serious about getting real sales volumes from this,” Matthew Russell, a spokesman for BMW, told us. “It’s a car that will have an appeal to a huge number of mega-city residents, business people, and electric car aficionados. We’re expecting a real demand for this car.”

Family members: The i3 Concept Coupe joins two other vehicles in BMW’s i sub-brand. The i8 plug-in hybrid (right) will reach production in 2014, and the five-door all-electric i3 EV will come out in 2013.
(Source: BMW)

The i3 Concept Coupe is the third vehicle to be proposed for the BMW i sub-brand. All three vehicles will use a body-on-frame approach consisting of two functional units — a drive module and a life module. The drive module, made from aluminum, incorporates the suspension, battery, drive system, and structural components. The life module, which sits atop the drive module, is a high-strength passenger cell made from carbon fiber-reinforced plastic. The plastic is said to offer a huge weight reduction, which is why the i3 Concept Coupe checks in at just 2,756 pounds.

The coupe will be propelled by a 170 hp electric motor developed by BMW that offers 184 ft-lbs of torque and works in conjunction with a single-speed transmission. A liquid-cooled lithium-ion battery (of unknown capacity as yet) will provide approximately 100 miles of all-electric range. BMW has said the i3 will offer an optional range extender — an on board generator coupled with a small gas tank. “It’s kind of an emergency-only feature,” Russell said. “It’s for people who have some range anxiety and are transitioning into an electric vehicle. It helps them relax by roughly doubling the range.”

Battery charging for the coupe takes about three hours. However, an optional, DC fast-charge setup (available only at public charging stations) can charge the battery in less than an hour.

The i8, also introduced as a concept car in 2011, will reach production in 2014.
(Source: BMW)

Unlike two other electric vehicles unveiled at the L.A. Auto Show (the Chevy Spark and the Fiat 500e), the BMW i3 vehicles will not be built atop another vehicle’s platform, Russell said. “It’s not based on anything. The aerodynamics, architecture, propulsion, battery, motors, wheels, tires — all of it’s brand new.”

Though BMW did not reveal a price for the concept car, Russell did say it would be positioned at the premium end of the electric car market segment. “We believe we are more in the category of the Tesla Model S,” whose base price was recently boosted to $59,900. “Like the Model S, it’s a unique vehicle. We see it as a key part of the future of mobility.”

I think one issue, maybe real issue, is the price of the i-3 cars IF priced above the $55K range. Beautiful cars but, in the United States, we like to get our money’s worth and I’m not too sure the ROI will generate enough interest to make the car an “instant” seller. Only time will tell.

Hello Evisu–I don’t use Twitter, only LinkedIn and Tumblr. I try to stay away from Facebook, Twitter, etc etc. I’m not too fond of social media–just LinkedIn and Tumblr. Many thanks for the very kind comments. Really happy you enjoyed it. Take care and please do come back. Bob

I rarely drop comments, but i did a few searching and wound up here BMW ALL-ELECTRIC CARS | Cielotech
Online. And I do have 2 questions for you if it’s allright.
Could it be only me or does it look like some of the responses appear as if they are
coming from brain dead visitors? 😛 And, if
you are posting on additional online sites,
I’d like to follow anything new you have to post.

Could you make a list of the complete urls of all your communal pages like
your twitter feed, Facebook page or linkedin profile?

Hello Good. I hyperlink to Linkedin, Facebook, Tumblr and Path. I stay away from Twitter and Instagram although I’m reconsidering connecting with those also. I really really try to post information that is value-added so my readers come away without feeling they waste their time. Hope I’ve done that in your case. Take care.

I am not sure where you are getting your information, but great topic. I needs to spend some time learning more or understanding more. Thanks for excellent info I was looking for this info for my mission.

Hello Tana. In this posting I used a source called Design News Daily. I manage a message board for that on-ling magazine and articles such as this appear in that publication. Many thanks for taking a look. Take care.

I absolutely love your site.. Excellent colors & theme.
Did you create this site yourself? Please reply back as I’m looking to create my own website and want to
learn where you got this from or what the theme
is named. Many thanks!

Thank you Williams. I actually used a Word Press template for the format. The colors, font and font styles I selected. I would definitely recommend you start blogging. It’s a great means of creativity. I really appreciate the comments. I try to provide value–added to my readers and certainly hope this is the case here. Please do come again.

I was very pleased to find this page. I need to to thank
you for your time just for this wonderful read!! I definitely liked every little bit of it and I have you saved as a favorite to
check out new information in your blog.

I’m amazed, I have to admit. Seldom do I encounter a blog that’s equally educative and engaging, and let me tell you, you have hit the nail on the head.
The issue is something which too few folks are speaking intelligently about.
I’m very happy I found this in my hunt for something relating to this.

I am extremely inspired together with your writing talents as neatly as with the
format to your blog. Is this a paid subject matter or did
you modify it your self? Anyway keep up the nice quality writing, it’s rare to see a
great blog like this one nowadays..